The Son of a Legend
by Akito FG
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki never knew his father or the status he held in Konoha, but made it through life as a normal teen until he noticed his peers harboring a life of street racing. Although ostracized for showing interest, his curiosity did not stop him from his aims to the top as an icon, just like his late father. *Contains adult content.*
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

The hospital room was filled with cries, coming from a newborn baby accompanied by its father, Minato Namikaze, and its mother, Kushina Uzumaki.

"It's a beautiful baby boy!" said Taji, who happened to be one of the midwives assisting the pregnancy.

"Im...a father." said Minato as he couldn't help but look in astonishment. He knelt down, taking a closer look at the life he helped create.

"Naruto...it's nice to meet you finally." Kushina warmly stated to a little Naruto, holding him gently in her arms. Minato placed his hand on Kushina's shoulder.

"Thank you, Kushina." both pair of eyes met each other with the strongest form of affection, ready to become a family. Suddenly, the door was flung wide open with two individuals entering the room.

"Koji, Rei-chan." Minato called out to his aides in a greeting manner.

"Sir, Lord Third would like to have a word with you." Rei briefly stated. Minato stared in confusion as to why he would be summoned at a time like this. Nonetheless, he agreed.

"What is it this time?" Kushina questioned.

"I'm not sure, but I'm gonna have to find out." Minato replied. "I'll be right back." he assured and made his way out.

"He's on the line." Koji said. Minato hastily picked up the phone, greeting his superior.

"Minato, my apologies for contacting you on such short notice." The Third Hokage (Hiruzen Sarutobi) said. "I give my congratulations to you and Kushina on your new child."

"I'm grateful sir." Minato replied. "Is anything the matter? It seems like you summoned me at such an unusual time." Hiruzen on the other line, sat back and let out a huge sigh.

"We have a problem, and at this point in time, the scale of it is unknown." He said bluntly. "Thirty minutes ago, I had learned that 3 of our guards at the border have left their posts." Minato's eyes widened in shock. He knew that even one border guard missing in action for fifteen minutes leaves an opening for anyone to enter the village unsupervised, especially for people who mean bad business.

"Their locations, are they known?" Minato questioned.

"Their disappearance is the least of my worries right now." Hiruzen replied. Minato reacted in utter confusion. "What I have also learned, is that our intelligence teams have sighted a large group of men, their tattoos appear to be from-" Minato paid closer attention to what he was about to say.

"Iwagakure. (The Hidden Stone)"

Minato angrily punched the counter beside him.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed. "It's...it's too early. I need to get there and stop this once and for all!"

"Minato," Hiruzen called out."For years, blood has been shed over meaningless turf wars, now that is over, your efforts to putting an end to that is why I named you my successor." Minato knew that his reputation would garner enemies from previous wars. "I do not want you to become a bigger target than you already are."

"I understand, sir." Minato acknowledged. He put the phone down, still not able to fully grasp the problem at hand and what form of action he should be taking next. He ordered both Koji and Rei to return to the room with him...

*BANG! BANG!*

Gunshots were heard from the same room Minato had just left. The horrifying sounds of screams and crashing brought the pair of three to hastily charge towards the doors leading to the altercation, proceeding with caution. Minato gave Koji the ready up to engage and with no hesitation, barged through the doors with their guns drawn, only to see a body guard and Taji, lying in their own pool of blood. Biwako, another midwife and happened to be the wife of the Lord Third, was held hostage by a man with a gun pointed straight at the side of her skull. He was accompanied by two other men.

"Make any fucking moves or this bitch gets it!" A perpetrator warned promptly. Both sides froze for a split second until the unknown hostile lost his patience with a little Naruto wailing in Kushina's arms due to the whole commotion.

"Shut that kid up bef-"

Rei, with full precision, discharged one single shot into the man's head as he was distracted, which caused the other two to step back in sheer confusion. Before they could aim at anyone, Minato and Koji finished them off swiftly.

"We need to get the hell out of here." Minato quickly stated.

"Are you going to tell me what is happening?" Kushina furiously whispered as she tried to calm her child down. Minato leaned towards her and picked their child up.

"The halls are clear sir!" Rei shouted.

"No time to explain. We need to leave." Minato said, giving the okay to his associates to request backup and transport his wife and kid to a secure location. His top priority right now, was to report back to Lord Third about what had just taken place.


	2. Prologue Two

**Prologue Two**

Lord Third stared out of the window from the Hokage's office, looking over the town with a clear night sky with a pipe in hand. He was yet to hear any news ever since he had spoken with Minato, hoping that him and Kushina are well.

"I suppose you have some news for me, Shikaku." He called out to his advisor that stood in the doorway.

"It's not good sir." replied Shikaku. "The hospital has been hit." This made Lord Third turn around in shock.

"Minato!?" Lord Third asked.

"He is on his way to report back to you. Fortunately, the threats have been neutralised before they could deal any more damage." Shikaku stated. Although, Lord Third still felt uneasy about the situation. How did they get in with ease? Is the village under a bigger compromise than he thought? Many questions filled his head all at once.

"Get a hold of Chouza and Inoichi and conduct a full-scale evacuation of civilians immediately." Shikaku looked in minor astonishment, but he'd rather not question it at a time like this. "Whatever concern you have, may have to wait. We can't risk civilians getting caught in any crossfire that may ensue!" Shikaku acknowledged and was on his way.

* * *

Minato sat agitatedly in the back of one of the three SUV's, trying to put the pieces together as to what had just happened. Although, he turned to Kushina, who already calmed herself and their baby down.

"How're you feeling?" He placed a hand on hers.

"To be honest, I don't know what to feel anymore." Kushina confessed. She looked down at Naruto with her eyes welling up. "The night's not over yet, but we can hope for the best right?" she reiterated, putting a slight smirk on Minato's face.

"Right."

"Rei," Koji called out. "Contact the Hokage's Office and tell them we are en route; ETA is roughly 8 minutes" She nodded. As she looked at the phone, she couldn't help but look in sheer confusion. "Rei?"

"The line is dead…." She muttered.

"Looks like we're going to have to pick up the pace. On the double, Koji." Minato requested. As Koji sped up, a pair of lights made its way out of the darkness, attempting to t-bone the pack at full speed.

"Ambush!" Rei yelled.

"I'm on it!" Koji dumped his foot on the gas and was lucky enough to avoid a collision but the suspicious vehicle had taken out the third car in the pack.

"Car #3 is down! More incoming!" The group's eyes had widened. Nonetheless, they had their guns ready and suppressed. Minato however, let out a big sigh before turning towards them.

"At this rate, we won't make it to Lord Third with all this heat on us." he complained. Although, his expression made it seem like he had a plan. "I want you drop me off at the next right."

"Just what are you thinking, Minato!?" Kushina contested.

"It's a huge possibility that they're after me, so we have to make this quick." Minato shot back. "Old man Ichiraku's place is where the car is at. If I lead 'em away and stay out of sight long enough, we will meet up again." Kushina was not keen on accepting this plan but she had her utmost faith for him.

"Just…. stay safe, you idiot." She gave a slight smile. Minato leaned closer to her and ran his hand through her bright-red hair.

"Woman, when have I not?" he grinned. In the midst of their heartfelt conversation, gunshots were heard discharging from behind.

"Car #2 is under fire, it's now or never!" Rei shouted. Two cars began to close up on them. In a flash, Koji hit the brakes with full force and made a sharp right, leaving both cars ahead and clueless of their manoeuvre. Minato instantly alighted from the vehicle. As their pursuers turned around the corner, Minato had his gun aimed at the driver's seat and discharged three shots, disabling the driver ahead and stopping them in their tracks. He would go on to run into the alleyway.

* * *

The streets were eerily quiet and the absence of streetlights contributed to the low visibility. Minato's best guess was that people had already been evacuated. He pulled up to the garage door to enter the correct combination to open it. He froze.

"Hands off the lock." was what followed after the sound of a cocking shotgun. Minato presumed it was game over for him. "State your business around here, outsider." Minato let out a sigh at the stranger's remark.

"Always the pessimist, old man." Minato muttered. The unknown stranger finally came into light as Teuchi, who was referred to as old man Ichiraku. He quickly withdrew his gun.

"What in world are you doing here at this time? I'll have you know we're in the middle of an evacuation." Teuchi blatantly asked.

"Well…. I gotta let the beast come out of its cage some time." Minato replied. Teuchi let out a chuckle. The lock opened, gaining access to the 'beast' inside. Behold, the Toyota Supra Mk4, showing off its menacing GT wing, ferocious body kit and gloss yellow paint job that gave Minato the nickname "Konoha's Yellow Flash". The pair feasted their eyes upon the legendary car, the main factor of Minato's rise to being an icon in the Land of Fire street racing scene. Teuchi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Whatever you're going to do, make sure it counts." he said. Minato nodded and Teuchi made his way to the evac zone, making sure that no one follows him.

* * *

Minato had been in the garage for roughly 15 minutes, stocking up on ammunition. Suddenly, he stopped for a brief second, hearing footsteps in the room next to him. He switched off the lights and positioned himself next to the door. Moments later, his uninvited guest had the gun pointed to his temple as soon as he opened the door.

"Don't be alarmed sir. It's only me." said a familiar voice.

"Koji!?" Minato questioned, dumbstruck. "But…. the others?"

"Rei has got it under control, and they're with Lord Third as we speak." said Koji. "And…. It seemed like you could use some extra help." He also confessed.

"I appreciate your consideration, Koji. You're a good man." They both chuckled at each other.

"We're going to have to meet them on the way." Minato agreed to this and prepared to set out. "I'll get the door." Koji operated the garage door, but was clueless as to what lurked behind it. Minato clocked on quickly.

"Koji! Away from the do-"

What followed, led to silence.

Minato watched in shock as Koji's head was driven back by the force of the bullet that penetrated his skull. Although, Minato couldn't waver any longer and composed himself to the figure that casually strolled into the garage, accompanied by the lights from hostile vehicles beaming into it. His face was partially covered, only leaving his eyes exposed. He withdrew his gun and snickered.

"Well…. Well…. Well…. What do we have here?" he asked in a soothing, but malicious tone.

Minato had concluded that he was the possible mastermind behind the attack on Konoha. As he initially presumed himself defeated, he vowed to himself that he would take this stranger down with him. For the sake of his family, for the sake of his people, and for the sake of Konoha.

Was his sacrifice worth it?

_**A/N: End of prologue! Felt like it was a bit too long (which I sincerely apologise for), but don't go anywhere yet. Feel free to correct me on any errors that I missed out on and stay tuned! **_

.


	3. Through the Grapevine

The infamous event will later be labelled as "The Invasion of the Leaf". An event that wreaked havoc across the town. An event that took the lives of great men, one of them being Minato Namikaze. His death was a mystery to all but his name will go down in history as a legend. Although, it is believed that he did not leave a legacy behind.

Or did he?

**17 years later**

It was 2pm. Clear, blue afternoon skies over Konoha. Naruto Uzumaki sat on the rooftop of Konoha High, the school he was attending, to ease off the stress from school in general. He loved the sight of a nice weather, the cool breeze racing through his blonde hair. Although, he believed that this wasn't enough to kill time; he felt that he could at least be more active in his free time whether it was at home, school or outdoors. Cutting his relaxation short, the bell rang for the last class of the day. He let out a sigh and went down to class. His last lesson was automotive mechanics so he couldn't complain as much since it was his favourite lesson.

The halls were filled with students making their way to their classes. Konoha High being a big school, it compensates for the large population, especially foreign exchange students who also attend here. Naruto brushed passed crowds but was brought to a halt as he accidentally bumped into a fellow student.

"My bad, Hinata. I didn't see you there." Naruto said to his fellow classmate.

"Hmph," she huffed, "Just the guy I wanted to see." She then brandished what happened to be his student I.D that he must've forgotten in his earlier classes.

"Oh hehe…...old habits die hard I guess." Naruto chuckled as he nervously scratched his head.

"Yeah…. whatever." She shot back with a smirk. "Don't let it happen again, okay?"

"Coming from you?" Naruto asked with a smug look on his face. "I suppose you haven't forgotten of all the times I picked up your bag whenever you lost it in the seventh grade." Hinata crossed her arms with guilt.

"At least I grew out of that phase before you did!" she retorted.

"Well, now you can experience the burden while I'm still at it." Naruto chuckled whereas Hinata tries to hold it in.

"You know what, I'd love to argue more, but in case you didn't know I have classes to attend, knowledge to take in and what not…" she skipped past him, placing his I.D badge in his orange jacket pocket. "See you around, Uzumaki!"

"Thanks…again!" He awkwardly shouted out.

"You got it."

* * *

Naruto started to slack off during the last half hour as he had finished early. He was laid back until he heard a commotion.

"_**Dammit Choji! You tighten the head gasket from the inside-out, not from the OUTSIDE-IN!"**_

"_**Well…... I don't think it matters."**_

"_**Seriously, Shikamaru. What do you expect from someone who drives a Honda?"**_

"_**You're tellin' me, Kiba?"**_

Naruto couldn't help but look away and snicker at the pair arguing, which caught Choji's attention.

"Aye, Naruto!" Choji yelled, trying to change the subject.

"What is it!?" Naruto asked, startled.

"Oh," Choji walked over to him after realising how loud he was, "Just wondering if you wanna grab something to eat with me and the guys after school."

"I don't recall saying yes to that." Shikamaru said, crossing his arms.

"Well you are now!" Choji scowled. "So, what do ya say?" Naruto never had anything going on for him other than school so it didn't seem like a bad idea.

"Sure, I'm for it."

"Great, now that Naruto is coming along," Kiba paused as he grabbed Choji's collar, "You're going to correct your mistake like a responsible human being!" Choji groaned as he was being pulled back. Naruto once again couldn't help but laugh at their goofiness. He stopped once he faced his teacher that stood behind him. Funnily enough, he could recall him sleeping.

"Naruto. Since you've decided to slouch, I assume that the task I set out is complete AND satisfactory?" his teacher asked sternly through his face mask that only covered his mouth. Naruto always wondered why he wore one but made no attempt to question him.

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto replied as he sat up. "Stripped, refitted and timed." Kakashi inspected the engine Naruto had been working on. He nodded in approval.

"Good, now I want you to run an errand to the principal's office. Give him this." Kakashi passed a note to him and he headed out.

* * *

As Naruto left the principal's office, he checked his watch, noticing that he only had 5 minutes left. Since he still needed to change out of his workshop overalls, he started to sprint to his classroom until he was stopped in his tracks thus making him fall to the ground. Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his collar.

"What the hell?!" he shouted as he was pinned against the locker. He was face to face with one of his classmates he disliked so much although intimidated by him. Could it be his outrageous spiky orange hair? Or his 6"3 built figure?

"Next time, you better watch where you're going, or it's gonna be personal!" he said as he tightened his grip on Naruto's collar. "And, tell your buddies they're gonna get what's coming to them, especially that fat friend of yours." Naruto, clueless as to what any of his friends did to piss anyone off, he wasn't going to hang around much longer to find out.

"Jugo…. Jugo my man..." another individual said, coming out of the woodworks. "C'mon, ease off the dude now." without delay, Jugo finally put his hands off of Naruto, still confused.

"What in the hell did I do this time to deserve this shit, Sasuke?" Naruto complained, dusting off his shirt. Although Sasuke came to his aid, he hated him more than he hated Jugo.

"Jeez, don't blow your head off." Sasuke replied sarcastically. "Big guy over here is fired up, and for good reason." Naruto raised a brow at that statement and at the same time worried that they're planning to harm his friends. He decided it was best to let them know.

"This is stupid, I'm outta here." Naruto started to walk off until he was stopped by Jugo.

"I think you better watch your tone, fag." Jugo cautioned.

"Jugo is right, bro." Sasuke agreed laughingly. "I saved your ass once, there won't be a second time." Naruto let out a sigh and continued to walk away. He reached his classroom and managed to catch his friends on the way out, all looking stressed out.

"What's with the long faces, fellas?" Naruto questioned. Shikamaru nodded at Kiba to spill it out to him.

"Listen Naruto, we can't make it tonight. Poor old Choji here got himself into some trouble." he explained. Naruto was a little bummed out but understood his situation, thinking back to what Jugo said. Since they were already aware it was pointless to say any more about it.

"You sure you don't need any help?" Naruto looked at Choji, who had a guilty look on his face.

"You're good." Shikamaru insisted. "We got his back."

"Man…. Sorry, Naruto." Choji mumbled. Naruto laid a fist bump to his chest.

"It's all good." he reassured. "You handle your business. Y'all better take it easy though." he waved back as he entered the classroom to change.

* * *

Naruto began to walk to the exit. He wasn't the type to worry much about things but his pals were an exception. Before he turned the corner, he overhears chattering in the distance.

"_**Aye, I hear Taka gonna be racing at Kage Pass…."**_

"_**For real? I didn't think they'd race this week. Who they up against?"**_

"_**Not sure. Must have beef with some nobodies. Gotta be an easy win for them though."**_

"_**I'd pay to see that shit happen."**_

"_**And that's why we going down there tonight, 10 o' clock on the dot."**_

Although Naruto was a massive car enthusiast, he never looked into any potential street racing that goes on around town, nor did he know anyone in school that participated in it. It didn't sound like a bad idea to see what was going down on a Friday night. Although, he didn't have the energy to check it out, he decided to go home, assuming that he wasn't going to miss out on much. He groaned as it would've taken half the time to get home with his mother's BMW but she needed it for work. Instead, he hopped on his mountain bike and pedalled home.

* * *

"I'm home." Naruto said. Kushina popped out of the kitchen with a surprised look on her face.

"You're home early." she claimed.

"Mom, I'm always home this early?" Naruto raised a brow.

"Well, I figured you would be more outgoing considering that your birthday is in a few days." Kushina said as Naruto looked away. He knew that she wasn't wrong about that. She placed a big kiss on his forehead. "Never mind that, how was school today?"

"Tiring. The usual, but still tiring." answered Naruto. "I managed to finish early so I just started to chill out."

"I see," Kushina caught a glimpse of the magazine that Naruto held in his hand. "What do you have there?"

"This?" He held up a car magazine with a grin. The title read "Legendary Sports Cars" with the front cover displaying the iconic Supra, driven by Minato Namikaze. Kushina felt resentful whenever Minato was brought into the conversation, knowing that Naruto never really knew his father, let alone know the type of figure he was in Konoha. She presumed that if that's what it takes to protect the family then so be it.

"You really love your cars don't ya?" She asked with a cheeky smile. "Cute little racing machines."

"Racing was popular back then, right?" Naruto asked with intrigue. "What was it like?"

"Ahhh…." Kushina wondered for a moment. "If I was to put myself in a racer's shoes, I'd feel free."

"Free of what?" asked Naruto as he grew slightly interested.

"Everything negative in their lives." Kushina added as she sat on the couch. "That's one thing I've learned. Back when winning was everything and losing was the learning experience, everyone had respect for each other no matter what." Naruto thought about what she said as he didn't think of it that way, but he believes that with time comes change. "Enough lecturing. Now, you want dinner?"

"Ahh... no thanks. I'm pretty tired as it is." replied Naruto as he went up the stairs. He still felt uneasy with what took place before but didn't think about it too much. He plopped on the bed and got some shut-eye.

* * *

The clock hit 9:45pm. Sounds of bangs and backfiring at a fast pace filled the neighbourhood, setting off car alarms in the process. Naruto got up in an instant to see what was happening outside his window. Cars flying by in the streets in convoys that seem to be heading in the direction of Kage Pass. It happened to be fairly close from Naruto's especially for walking distance.

"Ugh… what the hell." Naruto sighed as he slipped into a blue hoodie and put his shoes back on and raced down the stairs. Kushina didn't pay full attention as to what was happening outside since she was watching T.V.

"That doesn't happen very often. Something big must be going down." She commented, she turned to Naruto who was walking to the door. "Where are you going at this time?" she raised a brow.

"I'm heading out for a bit. I gotta go out sometime, right?" answered Naruto. She turned back to the T.V with a smirk on her face.

"Well, stay safe kiddo." she advised. Naruto set out and made his way to the mountain pass.

* * *

**A/N: **Sorry I'm late, here's 2000 words to make up for it. Such a shame that I had to start writing this when school starts but I'll keep going. Thanks for reading!


	4. Shut Down

Naruto parked his bike behind a fairly large bush. It looked like a promising spot to hide it so he didn't worry as much. Heavily modified sports cars raced past him, closing in on the nearby parking lots that were next to the main road of the pass. Naruto heard the sounds of the downshifts they made like they were music to his ears and walked faster to where they were parking. Some moments later, the spot lit up in numbers and music, with people crowding around cars that held rev battles and made burnouts that filled the area with the smell of burning rubber. Naruto had also seen senior students from his school participate in the fun but it wasn't as surprising because it's to be expected.

"This is crazy…" Naruto said to himself. He had not been here for more than 10 minutes and is already experiencing most of what goes on around here at night. He couldn't get enough of the sight of cars parked with their hoods open, displaying their tuned engines for people to take photos of them. All of a sudden, his focus was shifted from the crowds to a woman who had her eyes fixed on him. As soon as he was about to make the decision to get a better look at her, she walked away.

"Naruto!" a female voice called out from behind. To his surprise, Naruto quickly turned around to see none other than Hinata.

"Hinata!?" Naruto started to walk closer to her in disbelief. "Is that… really you?"

"Uhh… Duh!" she retorted. "I wouldn't have called you over if it wasn't, dumb-dumb." He was shocked to see her once again at a place like this; although, this time she looked like a whole different person. She had her hair in a loose ponytail and wore a yellow laced mini dress that barely covered her thighs, also rocking the sneakers to add on to her attire. Naruto looked at her from head to toe and knew that this wasn't something she wore casually. Nonetheless, he was digging the way she looked. What took the cake was that she stood proudly beside a car. Not just a normal car, but a car that looks like it had been built to be a speed demon

"Cool ride," He said, "and I didn't even know you drive like that."

"Well, it's not like you know anything about me, do you?" she coldly accused.

"Sheesh, lady… that was harsh." Naruto said sarcastically, blown back by the remark she made. Hinata couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"I'm just messing with you!" she replied, leaning over her car. "Now that you're here, come take a look at this baby." she grinned as Naruto set his eyes on her finely tuned Nissan 350Z. He stood in awe as he looked from front to back, with the car consisting of a ferocious Veilside body kit, 19-inch RO_JA wheels, an FRP wing that made the rear end look more aggressive and the metallic purple paint job to finish it off. Hinata stood beside Naruto to join in on the admiration. "Fascinating, isn't it?" she asked.

"Hah," he smirked. "It's a beauty."

"That also begs the question, how come you haven't been around here before?" questioned Hinata.

"I just learned about this today." Naruto replied. "I didn't think that people from school would be around here, let alone take part in it." Hinata gave him a perplexed look.

"But…. almost if not everyone from school takes part in this…" she mumbled. "You study auto mechanics; you would've been the first ones to know when a race goes down, right?"

"Trust me, Hinata. I haven't heard Shikamaru or the guys bring it up once." Naruto pleaded. As he started to think about why any of them would keep it a secret from him, crowds of people huddled together at one spot of the parking lot.

"Would ya look at that, that must be them." She said as she walked towards the spot.

"Hey, what're you talking abo-"

"Come on!" Hinata interrupted. He followed after her and pushed through the crowd to get to the front. Naruto had expected it to be a little fight going on between individuals but he guessed wrong. On his left-hand side were Sasuke, Jugo and the rest of their clique. What was surprising was the fact that they shot glares at the last people Naruto expected to be there…

"Real brave of you to show up here with your girl scouts, Nara." taunted Sasuke.

"We're not here to play games, Sasuke. We're just here to get this over with." Shikamaru pointed out.

"Oh, don't you worry. We'll at least give you the satisfaction of that." Sasuke nodded at Jugo to get in his car, revealing a yellow Nissan Skyline R-33 GT-R. The sound of it starting up caused an uproar throughout the crowd. He rolled up to the starting line waiting for his opponent.

"Get over here, Choji." Shikamaru pulled him to one side to give him a pep talk. "I know your stubborn ass didn't mean for this to happen and I know that you're shaking in your boots right now, but you should be more focused on finishing this race in one piece." Shikamaru reminded. "Taka aint a joke when they get called out like this." Taka, being the crew that was ran by Sasuke, were the most notorious street racing group in Konoha. They would go on to take over racing scenes in different parts of the Land of Fire which scared other people into not having the nerve to provoke them let alone go up against any member of the team. This was nothing new to Choji but had he not let his ego get the best of him, this would've been avoided.

"Look, it's pointless getting him in the straights so your chances of keeping up might be in the corners." Kiba instructed.

"Got it." Choji hopped into his frost white Honda Integra DC5 Type-R. It showed no cosmetic modifications other than what came out of the factory such as the rims and the aftermarket wing. As Naruto watched in the side-lines, he couldn't watch as they sent out Choji on what he thought to be a default loss.

"I have to stop this." He said as he tried to step out to them. Hinata held him back by the hand and shook her head.

"Don't make it a bigger scene than it already is." she objected.

"I can't sit around and let Choji get set up for something that has all odds against him." Naruto argued.

"Is that what you really think?" asked Hinata. "Well guess what, they're about to race, and there's nothing no one here can do about it. Not even you." this made Naruto calm down a little bit although he still felt helpless. He then looked towards Taka's circle and spotted a familiar face among them. The pink hair and the emerald eyes were what he knew too well.

"Even you, Sakura?" he muttered to himself.

"Oh, boo-hoo. Your little girlfriend is here." Hinata mocked as she overheard his quiet remark.

"Don't even get me started." he cringed. There had been history between him and Sakura but it wasn't the history he wanted to tell. For a brief second their eyes met until Naruto hastily looked in the other direction with a pout. She too, was surprised to see him here for the first time.

"_**These cars aint gonna race themselves, people. Let's get this show on the road already!"**_ shouted Sasuke from the starting line. Choji rolled up beside his opponent, refraining from making any form of eye contact. Jugo smirked as he saw through Choji's attempt to stay composed, knowing that he was scared to death. "Blondie, you're up." Sasuke prompted Ino, who was also a crew member and an attraction to the boys, to start the countdown. She stood in between both cars as all the males in the crowd whistled at her. They revved their engines and put their cars into gear.

"3…"

"2…"

"1…"

"Go!" was what was called out before tyres squealed off the start line at full throttle. Choji managed to start in first place as Jugo followed. He looked in the rear-view mirror to see that Jugo was trailing behind and shifted into third gear, pulling away in the process.

"This is getting interesting…" Jugo said to himself as they closed up on the first corner. Choji braked steadily into it, feathering the accelerator as he attacked it in order to prevent understeer. He felt relieved that he took Kiba's advice as he was widening the gap as he took the corner.

"He's pulling away!" said a spectator on the high ground.

"Whaddya know, he might just get away with it." claimed Hinata.

"Relax," Naruto said as he rested his upper body on the guardrail. "At this point, Choji is being toyed with."

"You're such a buzzkill, you know that?" she teased. "I've seen Choji drive, he isn't as bad as you think he is so he should hold out pretty well."

"I never said he's bad, I'm just saying that it's not common for a Honda at that level to out-accelerate a car like that and pull away from it, unless you've paid a good amount of money into it." stated Naruto. "Sure, it might do pretty well when entering the corners but the GT-R blows it outta the water completely. I wouldn't even go into what the top speed is like for that car."

"That's a nice little observation you've made there, kid." said an unfamiliar person. She happened to be the woman that Naruto made eye contact with earlier on.

"At least someone agrees with me." Naruto smirked as Hinata shrugged. "Do I know you by any chance though?" as he got a closer look at her face, appearing to be in her mid-30's. He felt like he had seen her long ago but he couldn't tell for sure.

"I'm just a spectator enjoying the race like you are. Call me Reiko."

"It's a pleasure. Although I wouldn't go as far to say that I'm enjoying it." he retorted.

* * *

As the racers make it through a few more corners, Choji managed to maintain his distance from Jugo as he lurked behind. It didn't feel as intense as he expected it to be but he still pushed forward nonetheless.

"Alright… it's now or never!" he said as he approached the high-speed corners, applying full force to the throttle. He made sure to stay on the inside lane at every bend, almost hitting the guardrail. As he made it to the straights, the lights behind him were dim, indicating that he had finally shook Jugo off of him; it was at that moment that Choji proclaimed his victory. He cleared another corner and laughed in joy as he joked at himself for being scared during the build-up of this race. However, he lacked a basic principle when it comes to competing…

And that, is to never celebrate early.

Choji heard loud tyre screeching behind him that followed with beams of light taking over the driver cabin. Jugo had caught up to him as he took the corner, and he was closing in on him pretty fast. In a split second, Choji's positive yet victorious attitude was dropped by the huge load of pressure that was put on him.

"Alright motherfucker… just because you caught up doesn't mean I'll give up easily!" he said as he stepped on the gas. He was able to widen the gap once again but this time, Jugo was done letting him run any longer. The GT-R gunned into third gear and was nearing to a close in the distance between them. Both made their way to a set of hairpins with Jugo still hot on Choji's tail, making it unbearable to concentrate for him as he started to encounter a problem that happened to be his tyres. Choji struggled with the wheel as he started to lose grip when approaching the hairpin, almost veering off to the outside lane. This created a window of opportunity for Jugo to finally pass.

"Let's spice it up a little." said Jugo. Instead of cornering with grip, he decided to unleash a four-wheel drift which caused him to be bumper to bumper with the Honda as they exited. Choji thought that if Jugo was to catch up, it will be at a steady pace. However, he couldn't fathom how Jugo was able to go from being lost in the rear-view mirror to being straight up in it. Focus was lost within him and misjudged the next hairpin. As a result, he applied full pressure to the brakes, causing them to lock and ended up in the bushes head on. Jugo slowly passed him but stopped in his tracks. "Hmph, you couldn't make it to the fun part even if you tried." he sneered. To his surprise, the Honda reversed out of the bushes fully operative with a hanging front bumper and a busted headlight and slowly drove to the off ramp that took him away from the natural racing course, leading him to an alternative exit from the mountain. Jugo shook his head in disappointment and drove off.

* * *

"Man…. I hope Choji pulls through." said Kiba.

"If you're that worried then go take a drive down the pass. I'm staying where I am." reiterated Shikamaru.

"Hey, I wasn't the one that pushed him into this race!" argued Kiba.

"Listen, it wasn't a decision I wanted to make. You can either shut up about it or take that shit somewhere else. It's starting to become a drag mulling over it." Shikamaru folded his arms. Kiba huffed and began to stare around the atmosphere in a daze. It wasn't long until he saw a certain person that caught his eye.

"Yo, Shikamaru."

"What is it now, Kiba?" he asked with an annoyed look on his face. Shikamaru sighed and started to look in Kiba's direction as he tried to find out what he was looking at. "What in the hell…." was what came after spotting Naruto conversing with Hinata. Although, they weren't the only one who noticed his presence.

"Check that Uzumaki sucker trying his luck with Hinata over there." Suigetsu nudged to Sasuke.

"Hmph. She's a hottie though. I'd bang." said Deidara.

"I say we go check what he's about."

"Word? Come on." Sasuke smirked at the idea and made their way to an unaware Naruto.

* * *

"Naruto!" shouted Kiba. Naruto faced him, not looking phased at all.

"Oh hey, Kiba. You look pretty surprised." replied Naruto.

"I didn't think you'd b—"

"This isn't your scene man." Shikamaru cut off Kiba.

"Oh really? So much for a night out with the boys am I right?" Naruto interrogated. "You could've at least told me what the hell was going down."

"I told you already, we're handling it."

"Putting Choji up against a GT-R is what you call handling it?" snapped Naruto as Shikamaru facepalmed.

"You and I both know that Choji's inflated ego has gotten him into a lot shit. This time, we got the collateral damage." He shot back. "Whether he wins or loses, he's gonna have to humble himself at some point."

"I'd hate to admit it Naruto, but he's got a point." Kiba chimed in.

"This just aint the right way and you know that." said Naruto. In the midst of their argument, Hinata saw Taka walking towards them from a distance.

"Heads up, boys. The gang is coming your way." she warned. However, they stopped in their tracks as a familiar engine sound echoed throughout the atmosphere. Everyone turned their heads to see Jugo pull up aside the road with his GT-R. He alighted from the car and sighed.

"Uhh…. Jugo, aren't you supposed to be racing?" questioned Ino. He leaned against his car and smirked.

"I would if I had an opponent. Turns out the last one wasn't too keen on sticking to the road but the trees instead." what Jugo had just said threw everyone into a state of shock and confusion. Kiba and Shikamaru looked at each other.

"You mean to tell me that Choji crashed?" whispered Kiba. "I gotta get out there."

"I don't think that's necessary." Jugo interrupted as Kiba was about to get to his car. "He was able to carry his sorry ass out and drive off with his front end in a mess." Upon hearing this, a few members of Taka had themselves rolling in a fit of laughter.

"So, the only thing I get from this, is that kid talking shit ONLY to end up in the ditch? What a joke!" mocked Sasuke.

"I say you find him and make sure he's good." whispered Naruto.

"He swung his car off the road, Naruto. Of course he isn't good." Shikamaru sighed. "I'll check around regardless."

"Aye, if you pricks got something to say, then say it in front of us!" barked Suigetsu. Although he made the comment, Naruto turned to face Sasuke with disgust instead. He knew that he wanted to cause trouble with him only, now that he's here.

"Ignore him." Hinata pleaded. However, Naruto had other plans in mind.

"It isn't any of your business." he shot back at Suigetsu.

"Well, you say it isn't our business," Sasuke paused and started to walk up to Naruto, "Exactly what business do you have around here, partner?"

"I'm just here watching the race like everyone else."

"That's cool and all, but the race is done." said Sasuke, turning his back on him. "I suggest you get yourself home in time for bed." This garnered a good amount of snickering from people.

"Pretty funny, I couldn't recall leaving anytime soon." argued Naruto. This time, he could feel his anger surging through him.

"The fuck did this cunt just say!?" Suigetsu growled before Sasuke put an arm out in front of him. He turned back around and dropped his smug attitude.

"Are you in a crew?" questioned Sasuke.

"No, I'm not." Naruto answered.

"Do you have a car?"

"I don't."

"Were you invited?"

"I didn't think you needed an inv—"

"Let me get this straight," Sasuke paused once again, "You have no car, no crew and no credibility whatsoever." He looked towards his group and back at Naruto again. "If I'm being completely honest, I'd say there's nothing going on for you here bro." this encounter reminded Naruto as to why he loathed Sasuke. His fake, positive yet condescending tone, the fact that he thinks that he has authority over others, or the fact that he brags and rubs the girl that meant something to him at the time, right in his face. Naruto caught Sakura looking at him but this time, she had a somewhat emotional look on her face, it didn't matter much right now so he turned his attention back on Sasuke. He felt a hand on his shoulder as he was about to speak once more.

"Chill, Naruto. I'll take it from here, and this time I will for sure." Shikamaru looked serious as he reassured him. Naruto let out a chuckle before turning around.

"I've put enough trust in you for today." he said before sighing. "But I will do it once more if that's how it is." Without hesitation, Naruto slowly made his way out of the parking lot as Shikamaru, Kiba and Hinata looked on with a guilty look on their faces.

"This is so fucked up, dude." said Kiba.

"I know…. I know. This isn't what I had in mind." Shikamaru mumbled. Hinata would go back to her car shortly after.

"C'mon, Hinata! Come kick it with the boys for some time!" Deidara professed.

"Sorry, but I'm gonna head out. I'm beat." she denied, hoping to catch up to Naruto as he made his way out.

"I wouldn't invite her if I were you, she's so full of herself sometimes." grunted Sakura. She thought she was at a safe distance to comment behind Hinata's back without her hearing but she could hear her loud and clear and kept on walking.

* * *

A wave of emotions was within Naruto at this point in time. It pissed him off when thinking back at how he was humiliated in front of a huge crowd. Suddenly, he ran into Reiko once again.

"Oh, hi there, Reiko." greeted Naruto. She stayed silent for a second until she gave a small chuckle.

"Don't put yourself down just yet, this won't be the last time you'll be around here." she stated.

"I doubt it." Naruto looked away in disappointment with himself. "I can only put up with those assholes for so long in school, I don't want to put up with them around these parts either."

"You can deal with them for a bit longer." said Reiko. Naruto, a bit confused by that statement, slightly raised a brow. "And with that, you take it easy kiddo, you hear?"

"Uhm… yeah sure." He said, looking back at her. Naruto thought that she was a little mysterious but decided not to think about it too much. He wasn't as tired as he thought, and the time was only 10:50pm so he took his bike and rode through main Konoha to clear his head.


	5. The Lost Generation of Young Racers

Konoha at night was a sight to behold. No one could get enough of the radiant, attractive and rich atmosphere when they step foot into this part of town. Naruto had energetic vibes when he came here numerous times with his mother as a kid. He couldn't feel the same energy as before, especially when something had been bugging him all night long:

"_**What business do you have around here…"**_

"_**This isn't your scene…."**_

"_**No car….no crew….no credibility…."**_

"_**No car…."**_

"_**No crew…."**_

"Fuck!" he scowled after punching a concrete wall. This time it wasn't the humiliation that ticked him off but he felt the pure malice in what Sasuke said to him earlier. To him, it felt like he was being reminded as to who was on top which Naruto cringed at. The thought of being a mere pawn to anyone like Sasuke didn't sit well with him.

"Is that who I think it is…?" an individual called out. Naruto lowered his fist from the wall and realised she was standing outside the "Ramen Ichiraku" restaurant.

"Ayame—" Naruto was held in a tight embrace before he could say anything else.

"I haven't seen you in a while, you little knucklehead!" exclaimed Ayame. "You've grown much taller too…"

"I mean… I haven't been around these parts for a while now." He then started to smile, "Doesn't mean that I can't see my big sis from time to time."

"Ayame!" a voice from inside the shop called out. "Stop prancing around and help close up!"

"Your favourite customer is here, Dad!" she yelled. Naruto's eyes widened to what revealed Teuchi coming out of the restaurant.

"Goodness heavens!" exclaimed Teuchi. "Boy, you look more like your mother every time I see you!"

"C'mon Pops, I get that all the time." said Naruto with an awkward chuckle. Teuchi walked up to him and placed both hands on his shoulders.

"You hungry?" he questioned. "I'll have you know that I can whip up the meanest miso chashu pork ramen you've always loved."

"I don't know, Pops…" Naruto groaned, "I don't wanna stick around since you're closing already…" a loud rumble followed after that from his stomach, Teuchi started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Nonsense," Teuchi said as he walked back into his restaurant, "I'll make an exception for you, son. Now come on in!" Naruto trailed behind him and sat at the counter. The nostalgia hit him like a ton of bricks. His nose twitched at the sweet aroma of the fresh ingredients, compiled into the magic that made the signature ramen; this was something Naruto took for granted. He sat in a daze for a second until a big bowl hit the table.

"One bowl for the favourite customer!" Teuchi yelled with enthusiasm.

"Oh, uh… thanks Pops." replied Naruto, jolting his head back up.

"Hmm?" Teuchi caught on to his dull mood. "Something troubling you, kid? You seem to be down in the dumps tonight."

"Just tired, that's all. I've been out all night y'know." Naruto did not want to go further into it and began to dig into his bowl of ramen with such gusto, which led to a wide grin on his face. "Man! You still haven't lost your touch, old man!"

"Don't be silly, I won't be able to live to see that day!" they both began to chuckle. Their conversation was interrupted as street racers flew by at high speeds, lighting the streets up with their modified engines and making everyone around turn heads. "They seem pretty active tonight, I take it?"

"Oh please, Dad." huffed Ayame. "Only thing those little punks know and do best is make noise with nothing to show for it."

"What do you mean by that, Big Sis?" questioned Naruto with curiosity.

"Don't listen to her," protested Teuchi, "I'll have you know that her biggest idol is—"

"The Yellow Flash…." she interrupted as she put her hands together and looked up with her eyes sparkling. Cutting her starry-eyed thoughts short, she slammed down on the counter. "Don't even think of comparing such delinquents to the… the man himself."

"Well, the way I see it, both are street racers. What's the difference?" asked Naruto. Within a split second, Ayame towered beside him, glaring with devilish eyes.

"I always knew you had cheek… but this time you've crossed the damn line!" Ayame growled, taking massive offense to his question. Naruto abruptly stood up.

"It was an innocent question! What's up your ass all of the sudden!?"

"**Excuse me…? Up my ass!?"**

Teuchi savoured the sight of the pair arguing. "No matter how old they get… they're still going to be the kids I watched grow up!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ayame. "He's still a little baby to me." she stuck her tongue out at Naruto while he looked the other way, pretending as if he didn't hear that.

"Ahh… Minato Namikaze. The man, the myth, the legend. You shoulda seen him in his prime." reminisced Teuchi. "You see, he never made himself out to be a hotshot racing star. He was humble, never looked down on his opponents whenever he won." he paused as he looked up at the photo consisting of Minato eating at this restaurant.

"But hey, not even a man like him could be liked by everybody…" Ayame added.

"Well that's a story for another day!" stated Teuchi. "Now, what's the difference between him and the street racers of today you ask…. He was an inspiration to his generation, and with that generation, they followed a simple principle; respecting others. Back then, whether you won or lost will still garner the same reaction from the racers and everyone watching, being the appreciation for a good race."

"But that changed like everything else, right old man?" wondered Naruto with curiosity.

"Mhm." nodded Teuchi in agreement. "It didn't pan out the way I expected it to, and with Minato's unfortunate passing, the culture went with him too. Without any, this generation of young racers are lost without them."

"All it takes is for someone to have the guts to tell it how it really is, but it's too late since everyone's started to settle into this crappy mentality." said Ayame.

"How it really is…." Naruto mumbled to himself. He could understand why they had such a critical opinion of the racing community. Come to think of it, he would've thought the same thing after tonight.

"Hey… we're supposed to be closed by now, Dad!" said Ayame.

"Oh yeah," Naruto stood up and placed the money on the counter. "Thanks for the ramen, Pops." Teuchi smirked as Naruto walked out.

"Hey, kid!" Teuchi called out. Naruto stopped in his tracks as Teuchi walked up to him. He grabbed his hand and put the money back in it.

"Nah…. c'mon, Pops!"

"It's on the house, son." Teuchi grinned. "Now you know whenever you got something on your mind, Ramen Ichiraku is the place to go." he walked back to close up the restaurant. "Send my regards to your dear mother, too!"

* * *

Naruto yawned and looked at his phone to see that it was already 1:32am. He didn't expect to run into anyone else anytime soon as he was five minutes away from home. On the contrary, a car pulled up beside the sidewalk as the engine purred, making Naruto turn his head in an instant to see the same 350Z he saw at Kage Pass.

"Haven't seen her around here in a long time…" mumbled Naruto. Hinata hopped out of the driver's seat and faced him, looking rather displeased. "What's up?"

"I wanted to catch up with you after you took off…" she said.

"That's strange," Naruto walked closer, "I don't recall losing my student I.D."

"Ha ha, very funny." Hinata said sarcastically. They both leaned against the car but stayed silent for a brief moment.

"So… what's the occasion?" questioned Naruto. However, he assumed Hinata was reluctant to answer the question so he decided to change the subject. "I barely see you come through here ever since you moved into the city."

"You're right." she stated, breaking her silence. "Kinda feels good being back here after so long. The city is pretty nice, but this was home."

"Of course! No city would be good without Ramen Ichiraku." added Naruto with a cheeky grin.

"Look, there's more to life than having a hard-on for ramen…." Hinata joked.

"Would you be kind enough to elaborate on that?" he pressured as he took slight offense to her opinion of his beloved delicacy.

"I'd love to, but…" after letting out a yawn, she added, "I won't have the energy to do so."

"Yeah… I believe you." Naruto chuckled. "Tell you what though, I'm tired, you're tired, we both deserve some shut-eye for tonight, right?"

"Right..." said Hinata while she looked down at the ground. Naruto was about to leave but Hinata still had something to get off her chest.

"See ya at schoo-"

"Wait." she cut him off. "I just… wanted to say that I'm sorry."

"That's a first." he jested.

"No, seriously…." Hinata looked down with remorse in her eyes. "It was messed up with the way Sasuke laid into you like that. I coulda said anything or done something about it when I had the chance, but I didn't." Naruto, stood there in silence until he gave a little smirk.

"Y'know… I always knew you were a doofus."

"Wait…. what's that supposed to mean!?" she objected.

"Relax," he replied as he started to get serious, "That shitshow was all on me. You tried to talk me out of it but I thought I could take a stand then and there when I was put on the spot. Man, was I wrong though..." he turned to the direction of home and kept on walking. "It doesn't matter anymore; guess I'll have to come back harder next time."

"Come back harder?" Hinata questioned as she did not have the slightest clue of what he meant by that statement.

"See ya around!" Naruto waved. Hinata sat back in her car, trying to process his earlier statement.

"Just what is he up to…?"

* * *

"Naruto…. Naruto!" Kushina called from downstairs. She marched her way up to his bedroom to find him with his head buried into the pillows and doing a great deal of snoring. Without delay, she flung the curtains wide open, but the sunlight was not welcome in Naruto's room.

"Argh!" he grunted, squinting his eyes and wiping the sleep from them.

"Rise and shine." said Kushina. "You must've been up all night for you to be hittin' the hay this far in the morning; it's almost 11!"

"Well," he paused as he sat up, "I was just clearing my head for a bit so I kinda lost track of time…"

"Something on your mind you care to tell me about?" she asked. Met with pure silence, she did not want to press him on his issue further, "I've let you sleep in long enough, so get dressed and come downstairs for breakfast. I want you to run an errand for me afterwards."

Naruto groaned and sluggishly slid off his bed and headed out of his room to freshen up. He felt relieved knowing that it was the weekend and can take his time with getting ready for anything. As soon as he was finished, he made his way downstairs for breakfast.

"Here." Kushina put an envelope on the table. "I was supposed to give this to Granny Cat yesterday but I didn't get around to taking it to her."

"Oh man, I barely turned ten the last time I went to her place and tried that tea she made. What was it called again… go… gyo…" Naruto wondered as he stammered over his words.

"You mean gyokuro." Kushina chuckled at his attempt to pronounce it. "No one can work her wonders like she does. Especially when it comes to her green tea." She set the plate down on the table, which consisted of omelettes with a side of hash browns. "Now eat up, kiddo. You can take the car when you're done."

"Thanks for the food, Ma."

As he started to tuck in to his breakfast, he had just remembered what he wanted to announce to his mother.

"By the way, I managed to save enough money from my old job for a car."

"A car, eh? I'm guessing you're tired of putting mine through your shenanigans." she ridiculed.

"Well then, I would see this as convenient for you…"

"Okay, you lil smartass…" she said as she aggressively ran her hand through his hair back and forth. "You figured out what you want to get?"

"Not yet," he replied with a mouthful of food, "I'll have to do some more digging around. Do you mind if I take a quick detour after?"

"It's yours for the day, sweetheart." her response put a smile on Naruto's face as he stood up and started to head out. She also followed him out of the house to get something clear between them. "Naruto."

"Hmm? What's the matter?" he faced his mother attentively.

"Now, I know you like to keep things to yourself as would any normal teenager, but if there's anything bothering you, you can always talk to me, right?" she reassured.

"Of course, Ma!" he said.

"Good. Now be safe, 'kay?"

Naruto nodded as he reversed out of the driveway. Kushina looked on in the distance as he drove off.

"**Our boy is all grown up now. If only you were here to see it, dear…"**

Kushina's thoughts were cut short as a familiar face parked into her driveway, instantly recognising the bright orange Mazda RX-7 without fail. Anyone else would believe that this person was a normal street racer, but to Kushina, she was a fierce, brave and loyal ally to Minato up until his death. Reiko slowly stepped out of the car and bowed before Kushina.

"Do you request for my services, ma'am?" the purple haired woman asked. Kushina raised a brow until she couldn't hold back her act.

"Enough with the formalities and give your senpai a damn hug, Rei-chan!" demanded Kushina as they both burst in laughter.

"I'm really sorry I haven't been around to see you lately." stated Reiko.

"Oh, don't bother, It's still good to see you though!" they both entered the house and sat down in the living room. "So, how's working alongside the Third Hokage been for ya? I hear you're now the head of the public security division."

"You have no idea, senpai…" said Reiko crossing her arms. "It's so irritating now that I have to babysit those brats racing their riced-up toys around town! How the times changed where everyone followed the rules…"

"That's strange," Kushina found it to be somewhat surprising, "I thought they'd stick to the mountains to race… they were even approved for closure by the Hokage's office if it got too rowdy for civilians."

"I thought so too, but when someone wants the thrill of a chase from the law, what better way to achieve that than dicking around in the busy streets of Konoha?"

Kushina chuckled at her struggles of being involved in the nature of working under high influences. "Now that you mention it, they were hauling ass around the block last night…" she also wondered if that was what Reiko was hinting at.

"Just a few schoolkids battling it out at the pass. That, is something I can control." Before Reiko could comment any further, she remembered her unusual encounter with someone while she was there. "You know, I did see a certain person there too… he's blonde… has blue eyes…" the two couldn't hold back their grins.

"Naruto." Kushina claimed with a sigh. "Figured he would be there after seeing them cause a ruckus in the neighbourhood."

"Quite the enthusiast, isn't he? Like father, like son I'd say."

"Please, don't get me started." Kushina was taken back to the 'shenanigans' her son put her car through. "I came back from a business trip last year and found my car making pops out the back. Turns out that the damn kid saved up a bunch of money from odd jobs and put a cheap performance exhaust along with an intake kit in it." Reiko couldn't help but laugh at that. Although, Kushina couldn't say that she wasn't impressed at his ability to do such a thing, only that she would have to endure every kid in town with a car asking her to race for about 2 weeks. "I wonder if that's what he's up to nowadays."

"Actually," Reiko thought back to yesterday, "That was the first time I saw him around those parts."

"Really?"

"I'm pretty sure… He didn't stick around for long after butting heads with that Uchiha brat."

Kushina put her tea down. "Mikoto's kid?" She looked away, remembering the dwindling friendship she had with her. Nonetheless, she didn't dwell on it further.

"He and his posse kinda run the show around there, I guess his problem with Naruto was personal for him to get on his case for something trivial as not having a car…."

"That reminds me… he did say something about getting a car earlier on, I didn't think too much about it at the time." said Kushina. This was interesting news to Reiko knowing that she had a proposal.

"You know, senpai… whenever you need that favour, I'm just a call away." reassured Reiko.

Kushina faced her with a moment of silence and finally spoke out. "I'll think about it."

* * *

"Hello? Hello…." Naruto called out within the store as a pack of kittens surround his legs. He sighed as he started to get impatient. "Hell-"

"_**No no no! I requested for these packages to be placed in this part of the room."**_

"_**Apologies, madam. We'll get on that right away..."**_

Two men trolleyed huge packages that seem to be of interest to Naruto towards the corner of the store.

"Performance parts? I didn't know this granny sold stuff like this…" Naruto whispered to himself.

"Well this 'granny' has to make a livin' somehow!" the old lady shot back as she overheard his train of thoughts. "And if that's what you're here for, I'd say you're straight outta luck, mister. These are on high demand for serious people!"

"No! Not here for that at all…" Naruto scratched the back of his head and handed over the envelope.

"Wait right there, dearie." she proceeded to open with caution until her eyebrows raised in shock. She looked up at him and asked, "Who sent you?"

"My mother?" answered Naruto in confusion. She hastily put on her glasses and moved closer to his face to fully recognise him.

"Oh my oh my…." Granny muttered under her breath, "How kind of Kushina to give me the chance of seeing you again! Come with me." Naruto followed her into the suite that were filled with cats lounging around the room.

"Make yourself at home and I will be with you in a moment, my dearest." Granny instructed. Naruto slowly sank into his seat as he took in the fragrance of the burning incense that eventually made him feel slightly hazy.

"Jesus, careful with that shit man!" a deliveryman said to his colleague as they were handling more boxes that were being trolleyed to one side. Naruto promised himself he wouldn't look further into it but he just couldn't help himself. As soon as the men cleared out, he started to look at the labels on the boxes. He wanted to piece together the reasons as to why Granny Cat, who was a popular herbalist, would be selling or at least handling car parts.

"Ahh… the curiosity is strong within the kids of your age, I see?" said Granny, catching an unaware Naruto off guard.

"Sorry, it just caught my eye so I couldn't help but wonder how you get your hands on these…. these… premium… golden…" Naruto started to imagine what he could do if he was able to get his hands on high end parts. He understood that obtaining it wasn't easy, but for some reason just knowing where he can get it motivates him for what he's got in the works; it was something he believes will come into fruition soon.

"Some things never change with you, boy. A decade ago, you would be runnin' around the place with every object you could get your hands on! Now it's my merchandise you want." she jokingly accused. At least he can come to terms with the fact that 'old habits die hard'. "Now that I think about it, this isn't my merchandise…."

"Huh?"

Granny put forth a tray in front of him before he could say anything else and said, "I've prepared some tea for you while you wait for my assistant to be with you." He thanked her for the offer and took his seat opposite to her.

"Say, granny… you said this wasn't your merch." He said.

"Well, of course it isn't!" Granny claimed. "I don't handle such things like that. Only my granddaughter, Tamaki, is responsible for this mess I tell ya'!"

"Tamaki?" That name was not unknown to Naruto. She was a quiet girl but a fellow classmate who took business classes. Although, he never talked to her other than the time that she bumped into him and his friends. Funnily enough, he remembers her taking a slight interest in Kiba.

"Ahhh yes… there was a time where this business was going through its hardships. Tamaki found out, and she realised before I could even tell her that I would not be able to keep up with her basic needs for school for much longer this kept up. After coming back from her school trip with her business class, her mindset changed."

"For the better, I'm g- guessing?" asked an intrigued Naruto who felt really sluggish.

"Well, that same mindset is what brought us into the city from the outskirts, dearie! Now every youngster around here wants to pay top dollar for these goods. Being optimistic is a known trait in our family I will tell you that much!" Laughed Granny.

Naruto started to feel groggy but he felt so calm. He could not tell if it might have been the tea he was drinking but he was not complaining. Granny's assistant entered the room with a parcel in her hand as Naruto tried to carefully sip his tea. He wasn't aware until she passed Granny the parcel and shot a look at the assistant that revealed to be Sakura. She too, had a confused look on her face.

"Whoa…"


End file.
